Video: The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza discusses the political pitfalls and benefits of President Obama’s decision to come out in support of same-sex marriage.
President Obama hoped that announcing his change of heart in favor of same-sex marriage would put the issue to rest as a topic in his bid for re-election.
The immediate result, however, was that both sides seized upon it as an opportunity to energize their bases.
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On the left, there was jubilation over Obama’s declaration that he now believes that “same-sex couples should be able to get married.” There was also hope that his stance will energize liberals and young voters, whose flagging enthusiasm Obama will need to rekindle this fall.
From the right came a call to arms that could make it easier for Mitt Romney, the all-but-certain GOP nominee, to rally conservatives who have been lukewarm to his candidacy.
But amid the initial furor, there was also a recognition — by both parties — that there is danger in inflaming passions and raising expectations about one of the most volatile social and cultural issues of the day.
“No one knows how [the political implications of Obama’s announcement] will play out,” said Chad Griffin, a major Democratic fundraiser who is set to take over in June as head of Human Rights Campaign, a leading organization lobbying for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. “I expect this issue to really die down, and we’ll be back to the issues of jobs and the economy.”
House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) sounded a similar note.
“I’ve always believed that marriage was between a man and a woman,” Boehner told Fox Business Network. “The Republicans here on Capitol Hill are focused in on the economy. The American people are still asking ‘Where are the jobs?’ and our focus is going to continue to be on the economy like it has been for the last year and a half.”
And while Romney reaffirmed his opposition to gay marriage at a campaign stop in Oklahoma, he did so cautiously, noting that it is “a very tender and sensitive topic, as are many social issues.”
When the question has been put to the voters over the past decade — more than 30 times in state referendums since 1988 — they have come down against gay marriage every time. In 2004, there were questions defining marriage on 11 state ballots, which helped the reelection effort of President George W. Bush by boosting evangelical-voter turnout.
Three-quarters of the states now ban gay marriage in some fashion. Just a day before Obama’s announcement, North Carolina voters approved by an overwhelming margin adding a ban to their state constitution.
But attitudes are shifting, and there is a growing acceptance of same-sex unions. In the past year, almost every major poll has shown that a slim majority now supports them as a right. In March, for instance, a Washington Post-ABC News survey found that 52 percent said gay marriage should be legal, while 43 percent said it should be illegal.
That overall support, however, masked a deep partisan divide. Democrats overwhelmingly supported gay marriage, by 64 to 32 percent, and independents by a narrower 54 to 42 percent. Republicans opposed it, by 57 to 39 percent.
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*Poll results from Post-ABC polls among registered voters unless otherwise noted. Complete results available in the Post poll archive.
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